No one surprised more than Truex, who rebounded from a trying 2014 (26th in the standings) to become a driver who habitually challenged for victories and spent every week of the season seventh or better in points. At one juncture he posted 14 top-10s in 15 races with only Harvick showcasing more week-to-week consistency in the first half.
Truex was at his best on intermediate tracks this season, with strong runs at Las Vegas, Kansas, Charlotte and Michigan. That bodes well in the playoffs, where five of the tracks are of the mile-and-a-half distance, including Kansas and Charlotte, which should provide an opportunity to win. If he can win once and survive until Round 3, Truex can feel good about his performance.
Unable to shake the mechanical gremlins and bad luck he's had ever since winning in June at Pocono, Truex's Chase comes to a premature close to put a sour note on an otherwise excellent season.
The first round begins favorably for Truex with a 1.5-mile track (Chicagoland) and Dover, where he led the most laps in June, in the first three-race segment. But the No. 78 team isn't operating at the same level it was at previously and that's worrisome. A departure in Round 2 seems likely.